10 things I love about creating Personal Icons

connecting with my subject – interviewing the person I’m making the Icon for only takes about 15-20 minutes, I can do it by phone, Skype or email and it so much fun to hear the excitement and start to understand what the artwork will be about.

doing the research – there are always some elements that I need to research, to understand more fully and to discover how those things will fit together visually with other elements; I love the excuse to be really curious and explore.

playing with a variety of styles – Personal Icons come in infinite flavors, depending on the likes of the subject. This means I get to play with interpreting the essence of many styles as I create for different people.

mixing media – my favorite way to work, and the nature of Personal Icons invites this creative experimentation.

when the elements start to come together – as I’m designing the piece in my sketchbook, there is always a tipping point when 3 or more elements ‘find’ each other and create a synergy that breathes life into the idea as a whole entity.

watching the piece take on a life of its own – as I translate the sketches onto the canvas, things shift and morph as the Personal Icon starts to truly embody the energy of the subject. This is where the magic happens.

discovering the over-arching metaphor – as the Personal Icon takes form, more connections become clear and shine a light on the finishing touches that will make the whole thing glow with the essence of the subject

sharing sneak peeks – all during the process of creating I’m taking photos. Sometimes I’ll send a close up of a portion I think is especially exciting. As the Icon starts to near completion I create a short Animoto video from the best of those photos and send it to the subject.

sending it off – to be totally honest I both love and dread this part. I’ve already shared the finished artwork digitally, but seeing it in person is a different experience. I always feel I’m holding my breath until it arrives!

knowing it is loved – getting emails, cards and phone calls from people who adore the results is a superb end to any project.